It’s a great change from most crudo or tartare’s out there. Nice touch Aster! I would definitely recommend getting this as an appetizer.

This green garlic soup was fantastic with olive oil, croutons, pickled fennel and a touch of lemon ($11)

The flavors were definitely good, but is it worth $11? Debatable.

These rabbit meatballs were interesting. I felt too guilty enjoying them as much as I did.

The main courses were the stars of the night. No complaints here:

Does pork shoulder, sweet potato and broccoli sound good to you?? Uhh yeahhhh. This was bomb.

Most of the time, pork belly is served because it’s easier to cook and has a ton of flavor already. But Aster does a phenomenal job using pork shoulder in this dish. It’s tender, yet flavorful, and not dry at all. Combine it with the sweet potato and broccoli, adds a nice touch to complete the dish.

These dumplings were OK.

Ummm, I didn’t hate it, nor did it like it. Get it if you want to try another take on dumplings.

This lamb tho! The meat was so tender and it tastes awesome. Trust me, you want it.

It was one of the best dishes of the night.

This black cod was my FAV thing here. It’s flaky, moist, outfitted with a coat of chard leaves that sits on a thin slice of miso levain set in smoked bone broth, with a hit of lemon. If this dish is still on the menu- you HAVE TO, have to get it!

To sum it all up:

The ambiance is chill with good music and great service, which is perfect for date night. Every dish we tried was thoughtful, creative and awesomely executed. The prices aren’t too ridiculous, but the portions aren’t big, so you might find yourself ordering a lot of stuff.

Overall, it’s a more than decent place to check out. You won’t be mindblown (or maybe you will), but you definitely won’t be disappointed!

6 Comments

I also had high hopes for Aster since I’m already a huge fan of Outerlands. I agree with you when you say that the food was good, but is missing a “wow” factor. Since they are still pretty new, hopefully the chef can make some improvements in the future!